Meeting Summary
We were honoured to welcome the SIOP Europe and CCI Europe communities to the 6th edition of the SIOP Europe Annual Meeting, held from 12–16 May 2025 in Budapest. This important gathering once again brought together the European paediatric oncology community to network, collaborate, share knowledge, and engage across generations—including early-career professionals, parents, survivors, and long-standing colleagues.
The meeting received exceptional support, drawing 1,383 delegates. SIOP Europe members and non-members made up 62% of attendees, with additional representation from young oncologists (8%), parents, patients and survivors (10%), nurses and psychosocial professionals (5%), international healthcare professionals, and sponsors. Notably, 92% of participants were based in Europe.
Delegates represented a diverse range of professional backgrounds:
• Paediatric oncologists: 40%
• Basic and translational researchers: 7%
• Nurses: 5%
• Paediatricians: 4%
• Radiation oncologists: 3%
• Patient affairs advocates: 3.5%
This year’s programme featured robust scientific content, with 18 European Clinical Trial Groups and 8 SIOP Europe Working Groups leading open and joint sessions. A total of 137 sessions were held, including:
• 4 educational sessions
• 22 joint sessions
• 51 open sessions
• 4 plenary sessions
• 3 satellite symposia
• 21 operational meetings
Sessions were thematically structured around tumour types. The first two days focused on liquid tumours, followed by cross-cutting joint and plenary sessions on Wednesday, and concluding with sessions on solid tumours. The active partnership with CCI Europe ensured strong engagement of parents and survivors, promoting meaningful collaboration across all stakeholder groups in paediatric oncology.
Session engagement was strong across the board, with average attendance per session as follows:
• Educational sessions: 180 participants
• Open sessions: 115 participants
• Joint sessions: 95 participants
Special programme highlights included 17 "Project in the Spotlight" presentations and two "Young SIOPE Gelato sessions, providing valuable networking opportunities for young oncologists. A dedicated "Meet-the-Expert Lunch" was also organised for nurses.
The Scientific Committee—comprising members of the European Clinical Trial Groups, SIOP Europe Working Groups, and parent, patient and survivor representatives—oversaw the development of the scientific programme, ensuring its quality and relevance.
Based on participant feedback and high engagement levels, it is clear that the community valued the opportunity to convene in person, reaffirming the importance of collaborative research and shared progress in paediatric oncology.
SIOP Europe extends its sincere thanks to all sponsors and partners, the Operations and Scientific Committees, the local organising committee, and the entire faculty and delegate community for their contributions to the success of the 6th SIOP Europe Annual Meeting.